Apparatus for removing refuse from pits



Jan. 1, 1935. JOWETT 1,986,109

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING REFUSE FROM PITS Filed Sept. 19, 1929' 2 Sheets-Sheet l I NI 'ENTOR Eda/2'22 fizueii .4 TTORNEYs Jan. 1, 1935. E. JOWETT 1,985,109

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING REFUSE FROM PITS Filed Sept. 19, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 1, 1935 UNITED STATES 1.1mm APPARATUS FOR as gg vme REFUSE FROM Edwin Jowett, Kansas City, 110., alignmto Com- Corporation,

bastion Engineering N. I, a corporation of New York New York,

Application was]... 19, mo, Serial No. 303.04:

6 Claims. (01. 110-105) This invention relates to apparatus for removing refuse from pits. More particularly the invention is concerned .with the removal of refuse such for example as ash, clinkers, dust andthe like from furnaces, superheaters, stills, coke ovens, incinerators, water heaters and similar equipment. It might also be noted that the apparatus of the present invention has particular advantages when used in connection with receiving or storage pits for refuse material which are equipped with a water seal. I

Among the objects of the invention are the simplification of apparatus of this type both with respect to the construction, as well as the operation thereof and the arrangement of the various parts in such manner that the operating mechanism and allother more or less delicate parts are well protected from contact with the refuse material.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means for agitating the material in the pit in the vicinity of the point of removal thereof in order to ensureregular or constant withdrawal without the interference incident to caking or arching of the material in the pit.

In addition to the abov the arrangement of the various parts is such as to afford ready access to all portions thereof which may require renewal or adjustment.

Finally, it should be noted, that the apparatus of the present invention makes provision for convenient discharge of the material removed from the pit into some adjacent mechanism such for example as a conveyor or a dump cart by means of which the refuse may be carried away to any suitable point of disposal.

How the foregoing together with other objects and advantages are obtained will be clear from a consideration of the following description taken with the accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view thru an ash pit located, in this particular instance, below a furnace, the pit being equipped with my improved refuse removing mechanism, and

Figure 2 is an isometric view of the same, certain of the parts being broken away and shown in section for the sake of clarity.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the reference character 3 indicates the chain grate structure of a furnace installation while the numeral 4 indicates, in general, the ash pit which is located below and at one end of the grate. It might be noted in this connection that the use of the apparatus of the present invention isnotlimitedtoanyparticulartypeoffurnace installation but may be empl yed with practically any type of furnace installation or equipment of a similar type wherein refuse material must be dischargedandsuitably disposedof.

The pit formation with which the apparatus is used preferably has downwardly converging side walls 5 in order to direct the refuse material toward the point at which removal is effected. Furthermore, it should be noted, that as indicated in the drawings, it is preferable that the pit or chamber should be provided with a fairly capacious storage pocket 6 at the bottom thereof so that the removal apparatus need not operate continuously during the operation of the furnace or the like with which it is associated.

The installation illustrated in the drawings also includes a wall '7 which serves to divide the pit into two passages, one communicating with the furnace from which the refuse is received and the other communicating with the atmosphere, the latter serving as the opening through which the refuse is removed. The pit is also preferably filled with water to about the level indicated by the reference character 8 which it will be noted is well above the lower edge of the wall 7. The water in the pit serves to water seal" the passage communicating with the furnace from the atmosphere and also to quench the descending refuse particles with the result that the material removed is well cooled before it is discharged. This is advantageous in view of the fact that the danger of injury to attendants or workmen is completely eliminated, that is, the temperature of the material when discharged is such as to prevent the giving off of noxious gases and .to remove the possibility of receiving burns should a workman come in contact with such material.

In addition to the above the water seal performs the function of permitting withdrawal of refuse material without the interference with the draft of the furnace which is incident to the opening and closing of ash gates or doors.

In its preferred form the removing mechanism proper includes a series of buckets or scoops 9 which are mounted on the periphery ofa plate 10 which is secured to the substantially horizontally extending shaft or axis 11 suitably journaled in bearings 12 as indicated. From inspection of the drawings, it will be observed that the buckets 9 are secured to the plate or disk 10 at one edge of the former and also that a strengthening member 13 in the form of a ring is secured to the buckets at their sides remote from the attachment to the disk 10. Thus the buckets 9, in effect, constitute an endless conveyor, the advancing and retreating runs of which (i. e., those buckets which are at the side of the conveyor moving into the pit and those at the side of the conveyor moving out of the pit) lie in substantially the same vertical plane. This arrangement is particularly useful when the mechanism is applied to a water sealed pit of the type indicated in view of the fact that the movement of the ring or series of buckets is confined within a space entirely located above the opening to the pit. In other words, at no time during the operation of the apparatus does any portion thereof which enters or moves in the water travel laterally beyond the walls of the pit, with the result that all the water which may from time to time be picked up by the buckets drops back again into the reservoir in the pit. It might also be noted that the mounting of the buckets 9 for rotation on a horizontally extending axis simplifies the connection thereof with a suitable operating mechanism. In the embodiment illustrated a sprocket 14 is mounted at the outer end of the shaft 11, it being understood that the sprocket may be coupled by means of a chain or the like (not shown) to a suitable driving shaft or motor (not shown).

The apparatus further includes a discharge channel or chute 15 which is arranged to receive refuse from the buckets 9 from a point adjacent the top of their travel or path. The chute 15 is inclined from this point outwardly and downwardly to discharge the material into or onto any suitable mechanism for carrying the material to some point of disposal. A conveyor 16, somewhat diagrammatically indicated, may serve the purpose or, if desired, suitable dump carts or trucks may be brought into position to receive the refuse material.

At one side of the disk 10 or on the buckets 9 are provided laterally projecting elements 1'7, preferably located at different distances radially from the shaft 11, in order to agitate the refuse in the bottom of the storage chamber 6 of the pit and thus break up any cakes or arches which may from time to time build up in such manner as to impede the fiow of refuse downwardly from the furnace into the chamber 6 and the path of travel of the buckets.

Finally, it should be observed that the construction includes a shoe or arch-shaped member 18 positioned within and conforming to the curvature of the ring of buckets 9. This shoe extends from a point adjacent to the discharge chute 15 around the inside of the path of travel of the buckets and downwardly somewhat below the level of the water in the pit. The shoe is provided in order to prevent the discharge of refuse from the buckets until the same reach a point above the discharge to 15.

In conclusion it should be observed that the driving mechanism for the apparatus of the present invention is so located as to permit of convenient lubrication. In addition, these parts are well protected from the water and the refuse material so that corrosion and wear and tear are greatly reduced. The shoe 18 is also readily accessible and may therefore be conveniently replaced if necessary without affecting extensive dismantling of the apparatus.

What I claim is:- 1. In a furnace installation having an ash pit extended downwardly below the fuelburning means of the furnace and defined by walls at least one of which is generally upright, and having additional ash pit walls defining an upwardly presented opening into the ash pit to one side 'of and adjacent to the lower edge of said upright wall, a mechanism for removing ashes from the pit out of said opening including a generally circular ring of buckets with mounting means therefor providing for rotation of the series of buckets in a plane substantially paralleling said upright wall, the mounting means for the buckets further providing for movement thereof downwardly into the pit at one side of said opening and upwardly out of the pit at another side of said opening, and a discharge chute projecting into the ring defined by said buckets toward the top of the path of movement thereof, the discharge chute being extended from said point laterally away from the ring of buckets to deliver ashes to a point laterally beyond the confines of said upwardly presented opening.

2. In a furnace installation having an ash pit extended downwardly below the fuel burning means of the furnace and defined by walls at least one of which is generally upright, and having additional ash pit walls defining an upwardly presented opening into the ash pit to one side of and adjacent to the lower edge of said upright wall, a mechanism for removing ashes from the pit out of said opening including a generally circular ring of buckets with mounting means therefor providing for rotation of the series of buckets in a plane substantially paralleling said upright wall, the mounting means for the buckets further providing for movement thereof downwardly into the pit at one side of said opening and upwardly out of the pit at another side of said opening, and a discharge chute projecting into the ring defined by said buckets toward the top of the path of movement thereof, the discharge chute being extended from said point laterally away from the ring of buckets to deliver ashes to a point laterally beyond the confines of said upwardly presented opening, and the discharge chute further being positioned over at least a portion of said mounting structure whereby to protect the mounting structure from contact with ashes.

3. In a furnace installation having an ash pit extended downwardly below the fuel burning means of the furnace and defined by walls at least one of which is generally upright, and having additional ash pit walls defining an upwardly presented opening into the ash pit to one side of and adjacent to the lower edge of said upright wall, a mechanism for removing ashes from the pit out of said opening including a generally circular ring of buckets with mounting means thereupright wall and providing for rotation of the series of buckets in a plane substantially paralleling said upright wall, the mounting means for Ethe buckets further providing for movement thereof downwardly into the pit at one side of said opening and upwardly out of the pit at another side of said opening, and a discharge chute projecting into the ring defined by said buckets toward the top of the path of movement thereof, the discharge chute being extended from said point laterally away from the ring of buckets to deliver ashes to a point laterally beyond the confines of said upwardly presented opening.

4. In a furnace installation having an ash pit extended downwardly below the fuel burning means of the furnace and defined by walls at least one of which is generally upright, and having additional ash pit walls defining an upwardly presented opening into the ash pit to one side of and adjacent to the lower edge of said upright wall, a mechanism for removing ashes from the pit out of said opening including a generally circular ring of buckets with mounting means therefor having. a supporting bearing carried by said upright wall, and providing for rotation of the series of buckets in a plane substantially paralleling said upright wall, the mounting means for the buckets further providing for movement thereof downwardly into the pit at one side of said opening and upwardly out of the pit at another side of said opening, and a discharge chute projecting into the ring defined by said buckets toward the top of the path of movement thereof, the discharge chute being extended i'rom said point laterally away from the ring of buckets to deliver ashes to a point laterally beyond the confines of said upwardly presented opening, and the dis-' charge chute further being positioned over at least a portion of said mounting structure whereby to protect the mounting structure from contact with ashes.

5. In a furnace installation having an ash pit extended downwardly below the fuel burning means of the furnace and defined by walls at least one of which is generally upright, and having additional ash pit walls defining an upwardly presented opening into the ash pit to one side of and adjacent to the lower edge of said upright wall, a mechanism for removing ashes from the pit out of said opening including a generally circular ring of buckets with mounting means therefor having a supporting bearing carried by said upright wall and providing for'rotation of the series of buckets in a plane substantially paralleling said upright wall, the mounting means for the buckets further providing for movement thereof downwardly into the pit at one side of said opening and upwardly out of the pit at another side of said opening, a discharge chute projecting into the ring defined by said buckets toward the top of the path of movement thereof, the discharge chute being extended from said point laterally away from the ring of buckets to deliver ashes to a point laterally beyond the confines of said upwardly presented opening, and plate-like means disposed adjacent one edge of said ring of buckets and shielding said supporting hearing from contact with ashes.

6. In a furnace installation having an ash pit extended downwardly below the fuel burning means of the furnace and defined by walls at least one of which is generally upright, and having additional ash pit walls defining an upwardly presented opening into the ash pit to one side of and adjacent to the lower edge of said upright wall, a mechanism for removing ashes'from the pit out of said opening including a generally circular ring of buckets with mounting means therefor providing for rotation of the series of buckets in a plane substantially paralleling said upright wall, the mounting means for the buckets further providing for movement thereof downwardly into the pit at one side of said opening and upwardly out of the pit at another side of said opening, the buckets having side walls and outer radial walls but being open at their sides presented radially inwardly, a stationary shoe positioned within the ring of buckets toward the side thereof on which the buckets move upwardly out of the pit, and a discharge chute projecting into the ring defined by said buckets toward the top of the path of movement thereof, the discharge chute being extended from said point laterally away from the ring of buckets to deliver ashes to a point laterally beyond the confines of said upwardly presented opening.

EDWIN JOWE'I'I. 

